Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love
Few contemporary artists are doing as much to advance the art of the saxophone-drum duo as Artist in Residence Ken Vandermark, whose trap set opposites have included British great Paul Lytton, Chicago ace Tim Daisy and Paal Nilssen-Love, a hard-hitting Norwegian with impeccable credentials. He’s a member of the Scandinavian supergroup Atomic, regarded as one of the best bands in the world, and has played in two very different trios: The Thing, a funk-driven unit, and the power-charged Scorch Trio.
Vandermark and Nilssen-Love have several duo albums to their credit, including the new Letter to a Stranger, which features Vandermark on tenor and baritone saxophone and clarinet. “This is raw music with a brutal beauty,” wrote one critic. It goes without saying – or should – that today’s set will be completely improvised. Second City style, you might say.
